Different types of food packaging

 Packaging plays a huge role in the consumer experience. This is said in terms of brand displacement and the overall shopping experience for the consumer. There are four main functions of Containment, Protection, Communication, Utility. For these reasons, marketers want to maximize sales and profits while reducing losses and waste. All of the above features are critical to enhancing the consumer experience. That First Moment of Truth (FMOT) — or the first 3 to 7 seconds in which a potential customer encounters your product on a store shelf — is critical. The right packaging will not only catch the eye of consumers but will also differentiate your product from your competitors. A strong package will also act as a marketing tool, telling the consumer what your brand is all about.

There are different packaging materials for food. The most common ones are:

• Antimicrobial Packaging

Antibacterial food packaging is a form of packaging that can kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms in the packaged product, thereby extending the shelf life of perishable food and improving food safety standards.

Increasing consumer health awareness is a key factor in encouraging companies to experiment with packaging materials and improve safety standards. The demand for packaged foods and ready-to-eat foods from all over the world, especially emerging countries, is increasing significantly. This demand will create growth opportunities for participants in the global antimicrobial packaging market.

• Aseptic Packaging

Aseptic processing is a processing technique in which commercially thermally sterilized liquid products are packaged under sterile conditions in pre-sterilized containers to produce shelf-stable products that do not require refrigeration. Taking the seriousness and importance of sterility of these products, proper packaging hence becomes extremely important. Aseptic packaging is a specialized manufacturing process in which food, pharmaceuticals, or other contents are sterilized separately from the packaging. The contents are then placed in the container in a sterile environment. Aseptic Packaging is portable, lightweight, and not fragile. Hence it has a very high degree of convenience. The quality of the product is way more assured by the adoption of this technique. This can be said because the aseptic process employs lower heat. Hence, better retention of nutrients which is as near as to the original texture, taste, and color.

• Green Packaging

Green packaging, also called sustainable packaging, uses materials and manufacturing techniques to reduce energy consumption and the harmful effects of packaging on the environment. Green packaging solutions often contain biodegradable and recyclable materials rather than materials like plastic and Styrofoam. And green manufacturing practices are taking steps to reduce their electricity production and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they cause.

For more articles on food Marketing, agrotech, and technology related to the Indian food industry, check out FMTmagazine. FMT Magazine is an edition of the German publication. It is a comprehensive food and beverage magazine that connects the buyers and the sellers through content that is of international quality. The magazine over the entire spectrum of the food industry including content on policies. FMT Magazine stands for Food Marketing & Technology Magazine. The magazine carries articles on ingredients, processing, packaging, food safety, and marketing, along with interviews with top personalities in the Indian food industry.